Trapped inside your corpse
Dead man walking
Even smiling
“Everything is fine”
“I’m coping”
You were lying
Trapped inside your corpse
A dead man with a grin
Behind those eyes
Festered the ultimate sin
Trapped inside your corpse
You created your own freedom
Who did you leave to pay the toll
Me
Me
Me
All you did was pass that misery
No one asked to carry your load
“Jesus did”
More of the lies you told
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Friday, November 12, 2010
A fictional, but plausible, story of the Cam Newton saga.
I’m a Dye hard Auburn fan. I will defend Auburn until the end, no matter what evidence there may be against them, or one of their players. I’m also not a reporter. I don’t have contacts or sources, even unnamed ones. The purpose of writing this is not to break any news; what I’m about to write is nothing more than an opinion. That being said, I think this opinion is not only completely plausible, but may even border on likely. So, here is how I think the Cam Newton story went down, based on what we know:
Dan Mullin was the offensive coordinator at UF. He was successful during his tenure there, and as is common, his name came up in talks concerning a new head coach at MSU. Once Mullen was approached by MSU, he immediately began planning for his team there, considering whom he would hire for his staff, where he would go to recruit, and who he would talk to about playing for him. He realized that his current back-up quarter back at UF wasn’t getting play time, and would continue to be benched for another season since Tim Tebow had decided to return for his senior year. Mullen knew better than anyone what Cam Newton was capable of, and probably decided that it would be wise to secure Newton for his starting QB at MSU. He could have approached Cam almost immediately.
Mullen also knew about the trouble Cam had gotten into with the accusations of cheating, and the charges of receiving a stolen laptop. If Mullen was going to be successful, he probably thought it would be wise to let the dust surrounding Newton settle a little before he started playing for him at MSU. So Newton went to junior college for a season. It’s not unreasonable to think that during that year Cam and Mullen stayed in touch, so in Mullen’s mind, signing Newton was a sure thing. He would get Newton, who could potentially lead his team to an SEC championship in Mullen’s second year as a head coach, and Cam would have 2 full years of college play under his belt when he went to the NFL draft, which would raise his stock.
At the end of Newton’s season at Blinn, he and his dad went to visit MSU as is custom. During the course of his visit, Cam’s dad, Cecil, runs into Kenny Rogers. Cecil Newton could have been completely unaware of Rogers’s reputation as a shyster. At some point during their visit, Rogers could have approached Cecil about the possibility of lining his pockets. After all, they knew MSU wanted Cam to play for them, and it was almost certain they would be willing to pay for it.
I don’t care who you are, if someone approaches you about the possibility of putting an easy $180,000 in your pocket, you will more than likely at least consider it. You may even pursue it for awhile. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone that would immediately decline an offer like that on the spot. But the more time someone spends thinking about an offer like that, knowing it’s unethical, wrong, and potentially damaging to someone’s football career, the more you get spooked. Once it’s out there, however, it’s nearly impossible to take it back. Certainly so, and be able to save face at the same time.
I believe Cecil Newton let his conscious get the better of him. I believe that Cecil told Cam to sign with Auburn because he (rightfully) got cold feet. I think Kenny Rogers was the first one to bring up the subject of pay for play, and once Cecil Newton showed some interest, he took the ball and ran with it. There is no question in my mind that Cecil Newton went along with it, at least for awhile. Ultimately, however, I think Cecil thought better of it, but felt trapped in the firestorm that had gotten started, and the only way out was to go to a completely different school.
How would Mullen feel about it? Even if he didn’t know about the pay for play talk that was going on, from his point of view, his superstar player, that he thought was signed, sealed, and delivered, suddenly jumped ship on him. This was the beginning of his Head Coaching career, and it potentially just disappeared. Perhaps he had put all his eggs in the Newton basket. Maybe he hadn’t put much time and effort into recruiting another quarterback because he didn’t think he needed one. Now, suddenly, he was left high, and dry.
If I were in his shoes, I’d be hacked off too, especially watching Cam do so well at Auburn. The superstar QB that was supposed to be playing for him was leading Auburn to #2 in the nation, and potentially to the big game. Is it unreasonable to think that he would have gotten wind of the pay for play talk through some of MSU’s alum, and asked them to blow the whistle on it? I don’t think so. After all, the stars had aligned perfectly. He had John Bond to blow the whistle, Bill Bell to confirm the story, and Kenny Rogers to take the fall. Rogers was already in trouble with the NFL, and he had a reputation for being unethical, so it would be easy to pin it on him and keep his staff squeaky clean.
He probably had no idea how the story would play out with the SEC and the NCAA, but he had to have known that there would be some sort of windfall, and perhaps that was good enough for him. He probably didn’t know if there was any, or enough, evidence to put Newton on the bench, but he had to know that the media would have a field day with it, and at the very least, it would cast a dark shadow on Cam Newton, and his success.
Even if Mullen didn’t hold a grudge, there is still John Bond to consider. I would imagine he might have been pretty disappointed to lose Newton too. He stood to lose something as well. If nothing else, he’s an MSU fan. The bottom line is that there are only 3 people saying that there was talk of paying the Newton’s to get Cam to sign, and all 3 of them are MSU alum, and obviously, big fans of the program. If I had the knowledge they had, and I played for and graduated from MSU, I’d be furious too.
So now you have to ask: Are these guys credible? We know Rogers isn’t. He’s being investigated by the NFL for God knows what, and there are already stories out about how he shouldn’t be trusted. John Bond? I don’t know anything about the guy, but he does have motivation, even if he is just carrying out the request of his beloved school’s head football coach. Bill Bell? Again, I don’t know the guy, but he has the same motivation as Bond. Has anyone asked Mr. Bell if he spoke to Cecil Newton directly? If Rogers approached him about the money himself, then everything hinges on what Rogers said, which is shady at best. Couldn’t it be that Rogers was, as Cecil Newton said, acting on his own? Couldn’t he have been trying to secure the money before he approached the Newton’s about it? Personally, I don’t buy that. I believe Cecil Newton started out submitting to greed’s temptation, but it IS possible.
The person with the biggest axe to grind is Dan Mullen. He has been quoted as saying that he had a great relationship with Cam at Florida, so if that is true, it had to have hurt that much more when Cam signed with Auburn. He had to have felt betrayed from the start, but to add to it, Cam has been amazing.
The bottom line is that there are entirely too many questions that need answers. Even the most anti-Auburn fan has to admit that this is certainly not an open and shut case. To penalize a 20 something year old kid before you have any evidence other than what some wanna be agent has said is ridiculous.
Heisman voters: vote for the best player in college football, because suspicions aside, you don’t know for certain that he doesn’t deserve it, and to give it to someone less deserving based on suspicions is to waste your vote, not the other way around.
Dan Mullin was the offensive coordinator at UF. He was successful during his tenure there, and as is common, his name came up in talks concerning a new head coach at MSU. Once Mullen was approached by MSU, he immediately began planning for his team there, considering whom he would hire for his staff, where he would go to recruit, and who he would talk to about playing for him. He realized that his current back-up quarter back at UF wasn’t getting play time, and would continue to be benched for another season since Tim Tebow had decided to return for his senior year. Mullen knew better than anyone what Cam Newton was capable of, and probably decided that it would be wise to secure Newton for his starting QB at MSU. He could have approached Cam almost immediately.
Mullen also knew about the trouble Cam had gotten into with the accusations of cheating, and the charges of receiving a stolen laptop. If Mullen was going to be successful, he probably thought it would be wise to let the dust surrounding Newton settle a little before he started playing for him at MSU. So Newton went to junior college for a season. It’s not unreasonable to think that during that year Cam and Mullen stayed in touch, so in Mullen’s mind, signing Newton was a sure thing. He would get Newton, who could potentially lead his team to an SEC championship in Mullen’s second year as a head coach, and Cam would have 2 full years of college play under his belt when he went to the NFL draft, which would raise his stock.
At the end of Newton’s season at Blinn, he and his dad went to visit MSU as is custom. During the course of his visit, Cam’s dad, Cecil, runs into Kenny Rogers. Cecil Newton could have been completely unaware of Rogers’s reputation as a shyster. At some point during their visit, Rogers could have approached Cecil about the possibility of lining his pockets. After all, they knew MSU wanted Cam to play for them, and it was almost certain they would be willing to pay for it.
I don’t care who you are, if someone approaches you about the possibility of putting an easy $180,000 in your pocket, you will more than likely at least consider it. You may even pursue it for awhile. I think you would be hard pressed to find someone that would immediately decline an offer like that on the spot. But the more time someone spends thinking about an offer like that, knowing it’s unethical, wrong, and potentially damaging to someone’s football career, the more you get spooked. Once it’s out there, however, it’s nearly impossible to take it back. Certainly so, and be able to save face at the same time.
I believe Cecil Newton let his conscious get the better of him. I believe that Cecil told Cam to sign with Auburn because he (rightfully) got cold feet. I think Kenny Rogers was the first one to bring up the subject of pay for play, and once Cecil Newton showed some interest, he took the ball and ran with it. There is no question in my mind that Cecil Newton went along with it, at least for awhile. Ultimately, however, I think Cecil thought better of it, but felt trapped in the firestorm that had gotten started, and the only way out was to go to a completely different school.
How would Mullen feel about it? Even if he didn’t know about the pay for play talk that was going on, from his point of view, his superstar player, that he thought was signed, sealed, and delivered, suddenly jumped ship on him. This was the beginning of his Head Coaching career, and it potentially just disappeared. Perhaps he had put all his eggs in the Newton basket. Maybe he hadn’t put much time and effort into recruiting another quarterback because he didn’t think he needed one. Now, suddenly, he was left high, and dry.
If I were in his shoes, I’d be hacked off too, especially watching Cam do so well at Auburn. The superstar QB that was supposed to be playing for him was leading Auburn to #2 in the nation, and potentially to the big game. Is it unreasonable to think that he would have gotten wind of the pay for play talk through some of MSU’s alum, and asked them to blow the whistle on it? I don’t think so. After all, the stars had aligned perfectly. He had John Bond to blow the whistle, Bill Bell to confirm the story, and Kenny Rogers to take the fall. Rogers was already in trouble with the NFL, and he had a reputation for being unethical, so it would be easy to pin it on him and keep his staff squeaky clean.
He probably had no idea how the story would play out with the SEC and the NCAA, but he had to have known that there would be some sort of windfall, and perhaps that was good enough for him. He probably didn’t know if there was any, or enough, evidence to put Newton on the bench, but he had to know that the media would have a field day with it, and at the very least, it would cast a dark shadow on Cam Newton, and his success.
Even if Mullen didn’t hold a grudge, there is still John Bond to consider. I would imagine he might have been pretty disappointed to lose Newton too. He stood to lose something as well. If nothing else, he’s an MSU fan. The bottom line is that there are only 3 people saying that there was talk of paying the Newton’s to get Cam to sign, and all 3 of them are MSU alum, and obviously, big fans of the program. If I had the knowledge they had, and I played for and graduated from MSU, I’d be furious too.
So now you have to ask: Are these guys credible? We know Rogers isn’t. He’s being investigated by the NFL for God knows what, and there are already stories out about how he shouldn’t be trusted. John Bond? I don’t know anything about the guy, but he does have motivation, even if he is just carrying out the request of his beloved school’s head football coach. Bill Bell? Again, I don’t know the guy, but he has the same motivation as Bond. Has anyone asked Mr. Bell if he spoke to Cecil Newton directly? If Rogers approached him about the money himself, then everything hinges on what Rogers said, which is shady at best. Couldn’t it be that Rogers was, as Cecil Newton said, acting on his own? Couldn’t he have been trying to secure the money before he approached the Newton’s about it? Personally, I don’t buy that. I believe Cecil Newton started out submitting to greed’s temptation, but it IS possible.
The person with the biggest axe to grind is Dan Mullen. He has been quoted as saying that he had a great relationship with Cam at Florida, so if that is true, it had to have hurt that much more when Cam signed with Auburn. He had to have felt betrayed from the start, but to add to it, Cam has been amazing.
The bottom line is that there are entirely too many questions that need answers. Even the most anti-Auburn fan has to admit that this is certainly not an open and shut case. To penalize a 20 something year old kid before you have any evidence other than what some wanna be agent has said is ridiculous.
Heisman voters: vote for the best player in college football, because suspicions aside, you don’t know for certain that he doesn’t deserve it, and to give it to someone less deserving based on suspicions is to waste your vote, not the other way around.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Last night I had to get out of bed and go outside to put Brynn's wheelchair in the van in case it rained. I had forgotten to do before laying down. I stumbled outside in my unfastened jeans, limped through the gravel and put the chair away. It was dark, but we have a street light outside the door that puts out a pale pink light over the yard. I glanced up, toward the road, and saw something strange. At first, I thought the pale light and trees were playing tricks on me, but as I stared I realized there were 3 deer standing a few yards away. They were extremely interested in me, but not scared. I was surprised, because the van makes a lot of racket, and blinks the parking lights when the door opens, but they appeared to be more curious than anything. I stood perfectly still and watched them for a moment, then I closed the van up, and started limping back towards the house. As I was walking, I kept my eyes on them. At one point, they started to get a little nervous, and one actually flagged its tail and started to trot away. I froze again, until it went back to calmly watching me, then I went into the house. I didn't want to scare them off. Our house sits on two acres, and is completely fenced in. They had to come up the driveway, through the gate, to get into the yard, and I didn't want to make them feel threatened in case they wanted to come back. I love the idea that they feel welcome in my yard, now that I have one.
It was only 3 years ago that we were living in a dumpy apartment in the not-so-great part of Homewood. The apartment had a Homewood zip code, but was zoned for Birmingham city schools. I can remember standing on the back patio listening to gunshots go off regularly. It was emasculating. It was the best I could do for my family, and it was horrible. Our first house had been foreclosed on, and both of our shiny new cars had been repossessed. My father in-law had recently died, and his business that I helped run along with him. I had tried to take it over, but his customers had done business with him, not his company. I'd lost a large majority of my income, and we were already stretched too thin with debt before that.
Ironically, our income is half what it was then, and yet our rent is a little more than what our mortgage had been. It's tight every month, but we make it.
I've written before about how we seemed to have suffered a lot of defeat. I still think that is true, using a human's definition of defeat, but I've learned that what I see as defeat can be something completely different. All of the things that have gone wrong in my life have taught me something. I know it sounds cliche', but it's been important for me to learn that, along with the lessons that I learned going through it.
There will come a time when I will be responsible for managing a great deal of money for someone else. If I hadn't taken something from those hard learned financial lessons, I would not be able to do it. I still don't think I'm ready, but perhaps that is why we still suffer financially. I've still got a lot to learn before I'm capable of handling that responsibility.
Those defeats weren't defeats at all, they were victories. The challenge now becomes knowing what lesson I need to learn when I suffer more defeat. The sooner I figure out what the lesson is, and learn it, the sooner I can move on to a different set of problems. Won't that be refreshing.
It was only 3 years ago that we were living in a dumpy apartment in the not-so-great part of Homewood. The apartment had a Homewood zip code, but was zoned for Birmingham city schools. I can remember standing on the back patio listening to gunshots go off regularly. It was emasculating. It was the best I could do for my family, and it was horrible. Our first house had been foreclosed on, and both of our shiny new cars had been repossessed. My father in-law had recently died, and his business that I helped run along with him. I had tried to take it over, but his customers had done business with him, not his company. I'd lost a large majority of my income, and we were already stretched too thin with debt before that.
Ironically, our income is half what it was then, and yet our rent is a little more than what our mortgage had been. It's tight every month, but we make it.
I've written before about how we seemed to have suffered a lot of defeat. I still think that is true, using a human's definition of defeat, but I've learned that what I see as defeat can be something completely different. All of the things that have gone wrong in my life have taught me something. I know it sounds cliche', but it's been important for me to learn that, along with the lessons that I learned going through it.
There will come a time when I will be responsible for managing a great deal of money for someone else. If I hadn't taken something from those hard learned financial lessons, I would not be able to do it. I still don't think I'm ready, but perhaps that is why we still suffer financially. I've still got a lot to learn before I'm capable of handling that responsibility.
Those defeats weren't defeats at all, they were victories. The challenge now becomes knowing what lesson I need to learn when I suffer more defeat. The sooner I figure out what the lesson is, and learn it, the sooner I can move on to a different set of problems. Won't that be refreshing.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
For Brynn
I wrote some lyrics today. I tried to envision some of the things that Brynn suffers with daily, and put down some of the pain in words. I felt guilty about it. It’s not the first time I’ve felt guilty writing something like this.
When I was a teenager, I wrote a lot of “dark” poetry. Looking back, I think part of the reason I did it was to gain attention, but I never showed much of that work to anyone, so that couldn’t have been all of my motivation. Now that I’m more mature, and have invested myself into a relationship with Christ, I find it more difficult to express whatever negative emotions I have because I am truly blessed. I’m happy. I have a good life, and I don’t suffer any more than anyone else, and a lot less than some. Yet I, like anyone else, do have problems. It seems ungrateful to pine away over problems when so many things are right about my life.
I suppose in this case I feel like Brynn is different. I feel like reflecting her emotions is something of a responsibility for me, because she can’t do it herself. Despite a serious inability to communicate, I know her very well. In fact, I think I know her better than I know my other 2 kids, despite having never had a conversation with her. I know that she is a happy kid. I know that some of the things I wrote today are too mature for her, and that she doesn’t focus on those things like I do. I know that despite her handicap, she still understands that she is handicapped, and not able to do any of the things that her siblings do. Beyond that, it’s hard to tell what she thinks about it. That being said, she is certainly the happiest, most content child I know. I don’t know why, or how, I just know that she is, and I am extremely proud of her for it.
Maybe some of the things I wrote will be harder for her in the future. Maybe she has moments even now that are struggles for her. Perhaps in the middle of the night, when her toes feel like ice cubes because she’s inadvertently kicked her blanket off and can’t put it back on, she feels sad. Maybe it’s when her fingers get tangled in her hair, and she pulls on it so hard that a lock of her hair gets pulled out, that she cries as much from the sadness as she does from the pain. Maybe it’s when she scratches her face, or gets her foot caught in her wheelchair, or bends her fingers back and can’t stop, or when she falls out of her bed. It could be at it’s worst when she’s sees her brother and sister, or her classmates, drawing or painting or playing hide and seek.
But no matter when it is, when someone, anyone, walks in to the room and speaks to her, this incredible smile explodes on to her face, and you would never know there was anything wrong in the world. No matter what I wrote this morning, that smile defines who she is. That is my Brynn, not what follows.
My body is twisted
And I can’t straighten it
It’s like living in a maze
That constantly moves and changes shape
I’m always lost and in the dark
So where’s my light? Where’s my life?
I want to sleep with out pain
I want to see without strain
I want to stand without falling
But it’s all so far away, so far away
My muscles ache
My head is so heavy
My tongue is too thick
And I have so much to say
I’m sure if I could crawl
I could find my way
So where’s my path? Where’s my life?
I want to sleep with out pain
I want to see without strain
I want to stand without falling
But it’s all so far away, so far away
When I was a teenager, I wrote a lot of “dark” poetry. Looking back, I think part of the reason I did it was to gain attention, but I never showed much of that work to anyone, so that couldn’t have been all of my motivation. Now that I’m more mature, and have invested myself into a relationship with Christ, I find it more difficult to express whatever negative emotions I have because I am truly blessed. I’m happy. I have a good life, and I don’t suffer any more than anyone else, and a lot less than some. Yet I, like anyone else, do have problems. It seems ungrateful to pine away over problems when so many things are right about my life.
I suppose in this case I feel like Brynn is different. I feel like reflecting her emotions is something of a responsibility for me, because she can’t do it herself. Despite a serious inability to communicate, I know her very well. In fact, I think I know her better than I know my other 2 kids, despite having never had a conversation with her. I know that she is a happy kid. I know that some of the things I wrote today are too mature for her, and that she doesn’t focus on those things like I do. I know that despite her handicap, she still understands that she is handicapped, and not able to do any of the things that her siblings do. Beyond that, it’s hard to tell what she thinks about it. That being said, she is certainly the happiest, most content child I know. I don’t know why, or how, I just know that she is, and I am extremely proud of her for it.
Maybe some of the things I wrote will be harder for her in the future. Maybe she has moments even now that are struggles for her. Perhaps in the middle of the night, when her toes feel like ice cubes because she’s inadvertently kicked her blanket off and can’t put it back on, she feels sad. Maybe it’s when her fingers get tangled in her hair, and she pulls on it so hard that a lock of her hair gets pulled out, that she cries as much from the sadness as she does from the pain. Maybe it’s when she scratches her face, or gets her foot caught in her wheelchair, or bends her fingers back and can’t stop, or when she falls out of her bed. It could be at it’s worst when she’s sees her brother and sister, or her classmates, drawing or painting or playing hide and seek.
But no matter when it is, when someone, anyone, walks in to the room and speaks to her, this incredible smile explodes on to her face, and you would never know there was anything wrong in the world. No matter what I wrote this morning, that smile defines who she is. That is my Brynn, not what follows.
My body is twisted
And I can’t straighten it
It’s like living in a maze
That constantly moves and changes shape
I’m always lost and in the dark
So where’s my light? Where’s my life?
I want to sleep with out pain
I want to see without strain
I want to stand without falling
But it’s all so far away, so far away
My muscles ache
My head is so heavy
My tongue is too thick
And I have so much to say
I’m sure if I could crawl
I could find my way
So where’s my path? Where’s my life?
I want to sleep with out pain
I want to see without strain
I want to stand without falling
But it’s all so far away, so far away
Monday, April 12, 2010
Jesus wept
John 11:35 says that Jesus wept. It’s the shortest verse in the Bible, and yet those two words are extremely important. Why would Jesus cry? In context, the verse refers to the death of Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, and brother to Mary who had poured perfume on Jesus’ feet. It would seem reasonable that one would cry over the loss of a friend, but Jesus was not just any friend. He was the Son of God. He of all people understood what it meant for someone to die here on earth. He knew what Heaven looked like, and what Lazarus must have been experiencing and seeing. He also knew that He would resurrect Lazarus. So why would Jesus weep?
The Bible doesn’t say specifically. It says that He cried when He came to the tomb and that as He approached the tomb entrance He was deeply moved again. As a man, I’ve lost people close to me and I have cried over them, but I cry because I will not speak to them, or see them again as long as I’m alive. So, for the years that I have left on this earth, I cry because I’m going to miss them. But Jesus knew that He would see Lazarus again within moments, and yet He still cried.
Perhaps it was because He was sensitive to what those close to Him were going through. Maybe He cried because He saw the pain that His friends were experiencing, but even that is difficult to understand. He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. The pain that they suffered from was about to be completely wiped away and replaced with jubilation. He did not cry when he resurrected the Centurions son. Even as He hung dying on the cross, His mother, Mary, was below Him in absolute agony watching her son die a brutal and unjust death; and yet, He did not weep for her. Of all of the sick that He healed and the blind that He gave sight, the Bible only references Christ crying on two occasions. The first was in Bethany, before he resurrected Lazarus, and the second was for Jerusalem.
The second incident holds the key to that question for me. He cried over Jerusalem because He knew they would not accept the gift that He was about to give them.
Jesus did not cry for the dead, He cried for those whose heart still beat that He could not save. He cried because even though He was about to suffer as no man has suffered before, some would reject the gift He was trying to give them. The Bible says the way is narrow and the road is rough, so most will choose the easy path, and die because of it.
I believe that as He watched Mary and Martha and the rest of Lazarus’ family grieve the loss of their brother, He realized that despite the gift He was about to give them, many, many people would reject it. He knew that He would grieve the loss of each one of those people much more, and for much longer, than any one of the people around Him were grieving the loss of Lazarus.
If God loves us as much as the Bible says He does, then it is more than we can comprehend. That being said, I know how difficult it was for me when I lost my mother. I can only imagine how hard it is for someone who has lost a child, but how much harder must it be for God to lose one of His children? And to lose so many! To love each and every one of the millions of people that will reject His gift that much, and to lose so many, is a pain we can not understand. As brutal as the cross was and as much as Jesus dreaded what He knew was coming, He must have been eager to do it rather than lose all of us.
And for what? Because we don’t want to know Him? Why not?
I’m an introvert by nature. I don’t particularly like meeting new people. It just doesn’t come naturally to me, but I find that in most cases, when I do meet people, I usually enjoy knowing them. In this case, we’re talking about the perfect person. God being perfect doesn’t just refer to His lack of sin. He has all of the positive personality traits that exist, and none of the negatives. He is the perfect person. No one that knows Him doesn’t like Him. Have you ever met a Christian that doesn’t like Jesus? I have met people who claim to be Christians that are angry at God, I was one of them, but those people don’t really know Him. I didn’t. What’s not to like?
The only other reasons to reject His gift are either because we choose not to believe, or we believe, but don’t want to give up our sin.
Do you think God created sin? If so, do you think He did it just to make life difficult for us? If you look at sin objectively, and consider the ramifications of it, you will soon realize that there is not a sin that doesn’t bring pain and suffering with it. If you commit adultery, it causes strife, mistrust and jealousy in your marriage. Coveting in and of itself is a negative emotion. Liars get caught in their lies, losing the trust of the people important to them. Murderers have to live with knowing they took another life. Worshiping and praying to false gods doesn’t accomplish anything, and creates unhappiness. All of the things God has asked us not to do only bring calamity back on ourselves when we do them. If there is a “victimless” sin, please tell me what it is.
Whether or not you choose to believe is another issue; one that I have written about before. In the interest of not becoming redundant, I’ll simply point out that you can’t know what you have missed in a relationship with someone if you never had that relationship to begin with. Where God is concerned, I believe that people know there is something missing, or not right, but they either choose to ignore it, or they continue to search in all the wrong places to find it. I feel sorry for those people. Not only because they are the cause of Jesus’ tears, but also because they will miss out on so much while they’re still here on earth.
While my heart hurts for those people, I’m glad that after so many years of being one of the people Jesus cried over, I have come to realize that He is what I was missing. I am excited about the way my life has changed, not just spiritually and emotionally, but in tangible ways as well.
The Bible doesn’t say specifically. It says that He cried when He came to the tomb and that as He approached the tomb entrance He was deeply moved again. As a man, I’ve lost people close to me and I have cried over them, but I cry because I will not speak to them, or see them again as long as I’m alive. So, for the years that I have left on this earth, I cry because I’m going to miss them. But Jesus knew that He would see Lazarus again within moments, and yet He still cried.
Perhaps it was because He was sensitive to what those close to Him were going through. Maybe He cried because He saw the pain that His friends were experiencing, but even that is difficult to understand. He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. The pain that they suffered from was about to be completely wiped away and replaced with jubilation. He did not cry when he resurrected the Centurions son. Even as He hung dying on the cross, His mother, Mary, was below Him in absolute agony watching her son die a brutal and unjust death; and yet, He did not weep for her. Of all of the sick that He healed and the blind that He gave sight, the Bible only references Christ crying on two occasions. The first was in Bethany, before he resurrected Lazarus, and the second was for Jerusalem.
The second incident holds the key to that question for me. He cried over Jerusalem because He knew they would not accept the gift that He was about to give them.
Jesus did not cry for the dead, He cried for those whose heart still beat that He could not save. He cried because even though He was about to suffer as no man has suffered before, some would reject the gift He was trying to give them. The Bible says the way is narrow and the road is rough, so most will choose the easy path, and die because of it.
I believe that as He watched Mary and Martha and the rest of Lazarus’ family grieve the loss of their brother, He realized that despite the gift He was about to give them, many, many people would reject it. He knew that He would grieve the loss of each one of those people much more, and for much longer, than any one of the people around Him were grieving the loss of Lazarus.
If God loves us as much as the Bible says He does, then it is more than we can comprehend. That being said, I know how difficult it was for me when I lost my mother. I can only imagine how hard it is for someone who has lost a child, but how much harder must it be for God to lose one of His children? And to lose so many! To love each and every one of the millions of people that will reject His gift that much, and to lose so many, is a pain we can not understand. As brutal as the cross was and as much as Jesus dreaded what He knew was coming, He must have been eager to do it rather than lose all of us.
And for what? Because we don’t want to know Him? Why not?
I’m an introvert by nature. I don’t particularly like meeting new people. It just doesn’t come naturally to me, but I find that in most cases, when I do meet people, I usually enjoy knowing them. In this case, we’re talking about the perfect person. God being perfect doesn’t just refer to His lack of sin. He has all of the positive personality traits that exist, and none of the negatives. He is the perfect person. No one that knows Him doesn’t like Him. Have you ever met a Christian that doesn’t like Jesus? I have met people who claim to be Christians that are angry at God, I was one of them, but those people don’t really know Him. I didn’t. What’s not to like?
The only other reasons to reject His gift are either because we choose not to believe, or we believe, but don’t want to give up our sin.
Do you think God created sin? If so, do you think He did it just to make life difficult for us? If you look at sin objectively, and consider the ramifications of it, you will soon realize that there is not a sin that doesn’t bring pain and suffering with it. If you commit adultery, it causes strife, mistrust and jealousy in your marriage. Coveting in and of itself is a negative emotion. Liars get caught in their lies, losing the trust of the people important to them. Murderers have to live with knowing they took another life. Worshiping and praying to false gods doesn’t accomplish anything, and creates unhappiness. All of the things God has asked us not to do only bring calamity back on ourselves when we do them. If there is a “victimless” sin, please tell me what it is.
Whether or not you choose to believe is another issue; one that I have written about before. In the interest of not becoming redundant, I’ll simply point out that you can’t know what you have missed in a relationship with someone if you never had that relationship to begin with. Where God is concerned, I believe that people know there is something missing, or not right, but they either choose to ignore it, or they continue to search in all the wrong places to find it. I feel sorry for those people. Not only because they are the cause of Jesus’ tears, but also because they will miss out on so much while they’re still here on earth.
While my heart hurts for those people, I’m glad that after so many years of being one of the people Jesus cried over, I have come to realize that He is what I was missing. I am excited about the way my life has changed, not just spiritually and emotionally, but in tangible ways as well.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Atheists, Agnostics and Believers
Atheists, Agnostics and Believers
Browsing the internet this morning I came across an article titled “Why I left Atheism” (http://www.doesgodexist.org/AboutClayton/PastLife.html). It was written by a scientist, and reads much like you would expect an article composed by a scientist to read; rather long and boring. It was not the first such article I’ve read, having become interested in the subject lately, but this one in particular posed some interesting questions and points for me. I decided to put my own opinion on paper, and to help define what each of the classifications means to me.
The easiest way to start this journey is, I suppose, to debunk the silliest classification among the three; agnosticism. Dictionary.com defines agnosticism as an “intellectual doctrine or attitude affirming the uncertainty of all claims to ultimate knowledge”. Well gee, that makes a lot of sense. By that logic there is NO ultimate knowledge. There is absolute truth such as: the sun does create heat, or air contains oxygen. But I suppose where it relates to God, some may think that it is a reasonable argument. My issue is that if you do not believe, or do not know, that the Bible is the Word of God and has relevance today, you would be a fool not to investigate it. If you are truly uncertain, then there must be some level of curiosity in you, or you would just declare yourself an atheist. But if you believe that there is a chance that what the Bible says is true, then you should certainly make up your mind before you die, or before the rapture. Either way, you don’t know when that day will come, so there should be a sense of urgency to do your research. If you have not, you are either lazy, or scared of what you will have to do once you have made that decision. You will either have to fully declare yourself and atheist, thereby spitting in the face of God, or you will have to change the way you live and the things you do, and put yourself in submission to God and His will. Being afraid of change seems a little insignificant since we are talking about your eternal soul, so if I were you, I’d get right on that.
Atheism is a little more difficult for me. I’m not a biblical scholar, (yet) nor am I a highly educated philosopher. An atheist has made his decision. He is, or had better be, firm in his belief and decision. He has attempted to educate himself on the subject, and has amassed some ammunition to support his argument. My belief and salvation is based on faith, because I had not begun the study on the subject. Personally, how the earth was created was never really in question for me.
In the article I mentioned above, the author tells of 2 different occasions in his college years where he approached a professor in 2 different areas of study and asked them to explain how matter was created from nothing. He wanted to know how his professor believed the world was originally created; was it the big bang, or something else. Both of his highly esteemed professors answered that it was not within the realm of science to answer that question. In other words, all of the scientific knowledge and technology we have today could not answer that question. Answering that question was the job of philosophers or religion.
I found that interesting. To me, that is the most important question. Every thing else related to science and philosophy hinges on that answer. Sure, we can understand pollination, and break down DNA, and know the structure of a molecule, but we can’t explain how the plants, the DNA, and the molecule got here in the first place. Why do we even teach evolution in science classes anyway? It’s only a theory, and it’s a theory originating from philosophy, not science! That tells me that an atheist is basing his opinion and gambling his soul on someone’s best guess. And yet, most atheists think that believers are ignorant, superstitious and foolish. Really?
What does atheism have to offer? If there is no God, there is no afterlife. So this is it. You can spend your whole life chasing pleasure and happiness, but you will only find one of them. It is impossible to be happy if you have nothing to live for. Again I go back to Dictionary.com where it defines happiness as “good fortune; pleasure; contentment, and joy. Pleasure, by definition, is temporary. Good fortune doesn’t last forever either. You could be the luckiest person on the planet, but even you will run out of it at some point. That leaves contentment and joy. Those things don’t come from circumstances. Circumstances change. The only way a man can be truly content is if he is fulfilling a purpose. To follow the bends in the river of life, floating along in whatever direction it takes you may be relaxing, but it can’t make you happy. Life is ugly, and you can only enjoy the view for a short time. An atheist cannot be truly happy because he has to believe that there is nothing else. The pain, loss and suffering that come with life is the absolute best that there is, and when it’s over, it’s over. Like a movie that fades to black after the last scene.
In contrast, Christianity contends that life on Earth is the absolute worst. Even the best of what life has to offer pales in comparison to what the Bible says Heaven will be to those who believe. Not only is the afterlife something to look forward to, but our current life offers fulfillment and purpose. Service to God comes in many different forms, and we were created for it. A God that loves us, and created us for a specific purpose would not put us into a service that makes us miserable. I’m not called to drop everything and move to Zimbabwe. Those that are do it because, ultimately, they want to. I was called to do this. To write about what I’m experiencing and going through. Ironically, I was doing this long before I made a decision to develop a relationship with Christ, because I love doing it.
Christianity is not scary. It’s not hard. In fact, each day that goes by, I realize that it is far easier than living without it. The benefits are incredible. God has given us the opportunity to tap in to all of the power and knowledge that he possesses. Wisdom, discernment, healing, faith, and so many more are gifts that He gives us that can be used for His service, but for ourselves as well. Most Christians don’t even use these gifts, but they are available to us.
We have the promise of an incredible future of wealth and power beyond this life, as well as a fulfilled and happy life here, and an atheist believes that this is as good as it gets. Lord Kelvin, a very famous British scientist once said “If you study science deep enough and long enough it will force you to believe in God.” I believe that. Like I said, I’m no scientist, but I have spent several hours reading and studying scientific arguments from both sides, and I’m convinced that any objective scientist can not make as strong an argument against God as one can for Him. Do the research for yourself.
What ever you do, don’t claim to be agnostic for more than another day or two. You really will look silly.
Browsing the internet this morning I came across an article titled “Why I left Atheism” (http://www.doesgodexist.org/AboutClayton/PastLife.html). It was written by a scientist, and reads much like you would expect an article composed by a scientist to read; rather long and boring. It was not the first such article I’ve read, having become interested in the subject lately, but this one in particular posed some interesting questions and points for me. I decided to put my own opinion on paper, and to help define what each of the classifications means to me.
The easiest way to start this journey is, I suppose, to debunk the silliest classification among the three; agnosticism. Dictionary.com defines agnosticism as an “intellectual doctrine or attitude affirming the uncertainty of all claims to ultimate knowledge”. Well gee, that makes a lot of sense. By that logic there is NO ultimate knowledge. There is absolute truth such as: the sun does create heat, or air contains oxygen. But I suppose where it relates to God, some may think that it is a reasonable argument. My issue is that if you do not believe, or do not know, that the Bible is the Word of God and has relevance today, you would be a fool not to investigate it. If you are truly uncertain, then there must be some level of curiosity in you, or you would just declare yourself an atheist. But if you believe that there is a chance that what the Bible says is true, then you should certainly make up your mind before you die, or before the rapture. Either way, you don’t know when that day will come, so there should be a sense of urgency to do your research. If you have not, you are either lazy, or scared of what you will have to do once you have made that decision. You will either have to fully declare yourself and atheist, thereby spitting in the face of God, or you will have to change the way you live and the things you do, and put yourself in submission to God and His will. Being afraid of change seems a little insignificant since we are talking about your eternal soul, so if I were you, I’d get right on that.
Atheism is a little more difficult for me. I’m not a biblical scholar, (yet) nor am I a highly educated philosopher. An atheist has made his decision. He is, or had better be, firm in his belief and decision. He has attempted to educate himself on the subject, and has amassed some ammunition to support his argument. My belief and salvation is based on faith, because I had not begun the study on the subject. Personally, how the earth was created was never really in question for me.
In the article I mentioned above, the author tells of 2 different occasions in his college years where he approached a professor in 2 different areas of study and asked them to explain how matter was created from nothing. He wanted to know how his professor believed the world was originally created; was it the big bang, or something else. Both of his highly esteemed professors answered that it was not within the realm of science to answer that question. In other words, all of the scientific knowledge and technology we have today could not answer that question. Answering that question was the job of philosophers or religion.
I found that interesting. To me, that is the most important question. Every thing else related to science and philosophy hinges on that answer. Sure, we can understand pollination, and break down DNA, and know the structure of a molecule, but we can’t explain how the plants, the DNA, and the molecule got here in the first place. Why do we even teach evolution in science classes anyway? It’s only a theory, and it’s a theory originating from philosophy, not science! That tells me that an atheist is basing his opinion and gambling his soul on someone’s best guess. And yet, most atheists think that believers are ignorant, superstitious and foolish. Really?
What does atheism have to offer? If there is no God, there is no afterlife. So this is it. You can spend your whole life chasing pleasure and happiness, but you will only find one of them. It is impossible to be happy if you have nothing to live for. Again I go back to Dictionary.com where it defines happiness as “good fortune; pleasure; contentment, and joy. Pleasure, by definition, is temporary. Good fortune doesn’t last forever either. You could be the luckiest person on the planet, but even you will run out of it at some point. That leaves contentment and joy. Those things don’t come from circumstances. Circumstances change. The only way a man can be truly content is if he is fulfilling a purpose. To follow the bends in the river of life, floating along in whatever direction it takes you may be relaxing, but it can’t make you happy. Life is ugly, and you can only enjoy the view for a short time. An atheist cannot be truly happy because he has to believe that there is nothing else. The pain, loss and suffering that come with life is the absolute best that there is, and when it’s over, it’s over. Like a movie that fades to black after the last scene.
In contrast, Christianity contends that life on Earth is the absolute worst. Even the best of what life has to offer pales in comparison to what the Bible says Heaven will be to those who believe. Not only is the afterlife something to look forward to, but our current life offers fulfillment and purpose. Service to God comes in many different forms, and we were created for it. A God that loves us, and created us for a specific purpose would not put us into a service that makes us miserable. I’m not called to drop everything and move to Zimbabwe. Those that are do it because, ultimately, they want to. I was called to do this. To write about what I’m experiencing and going through. Ironically, I was doing this long before I made a decision to develop a relationship with Christ, because I love doing it.
Christianity is not scary. It’s not hard. In fact, each day that goes by, I realize that it is far easier than living without it. The benefits are incredible. God has given us the opportunity to tap in to all of the power and knowledge that he possesses. Wisdom, discernment, healing, faith, and so many more are gifts that He gives us that can be used for His service, but for ourselves as well. Most Christians don’t even use these gifts, but they are available to us.
We have the promise of an incredible future of wealth and power beyond this life, as well as a fulfilled and happy life here, and an atheist believes that this is as good as it gets. Lord Kelvin, a very famous British scientist once said “If you study science deep enough and long enough it will force you to believe in God.” I believe that. Like I said, I’m no scientist, but I have spent several hours reading and studying scientific arguments from both sides, and I’m convinced that any objective scientist can not make as strong an argument against God as one can for Him. Do the research for yourself.
What ever you do, don’t claim to be agnostic for more than another day or two. You really will look silly.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
This is nuts.
Have you READ Article 1 section 7 of OUR Constitution, "All bills for raising revenue originate in the house of representatives"...and this is a revenue bill. It began in the Senate and it hires 16,000 new IRS agents to harass our citizens.
Page 22 of the HC Bill: Mandates that the Govt will audit books of all employers that self-insure!!
Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill: THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.
Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill: YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Page 42 of HC Bill: The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC benefits for you. You have no choice!
Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.
Page 58 HC Bill: Govt will have real-time access to individuals' finances & a 'National ID Health card' will be issued! (Papers please!)
Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Govt will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer. (Time for more cash and carry)
Page 65 Sec 164: Is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations: (ACORN).
Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the 'Exchange.'
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans -- The Govt will ration your health care!
Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. (Translation: illegal aliens.)
Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Govt will use groups (i.e. ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan.
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. (AARP members - your health care WILL be rationed!)
Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. (No choice.)
Page 12 4 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt monopoly.
Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors/ American Medical Association - The Govt will tell YOU what salary you can make.
Page 145 Line 15-17: An Employer MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan. (NO choice!)
Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part-time employees ANDtheir families. (Employees shouldn't get excited about this as employers will be forced to reduce its work force, benefits, and wages/salaries to cover such a huge expense.)
Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option will pay 8% tax on all payroll! (See the last comment in parenthesis.)
Page 150 Lines 9-13: A business with payroll between $251K & $401K who doesn't provide public option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay.) (Like always)
Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of the GOVT HC Admin.. will have access to ALL Americans' finances and personal records. (I guess so they can 'deduct' their fees)
Page 203 Line 14-15 HC: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." (Yes, it really says that!) ( a 'fee' instead)
Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors. (Low-income and the poor are affected.)
Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill: Doctors: It doesn't matter what specialty you have trained yourself in -- you will all be paid the same! (Just TRY to tell me that's not Socialism!)
Page 253 Line 10-18: The Govt sets the value of a doctor's time, profession, judgment, etc. (Literally-- the value of humans.)
Page 265 Sec 1131: The Govt mandates and controls productivity for "private" HC industries.
Page 268 Sec 1141: The federal Govt regulates the rental and purchase of power driven wheelchairs.
Page 272 SEC. 1145: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
Page 280 Sec 1151: The Govt will penalize hospitals for whatever the Govt deems preventable (i.e...re-admissions).
Page 298 Lines 9-11: Doctors: If you treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission -- the Govt will penalize you.
Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. (The Govt tells doctors what and how much they can own!)
Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion. (The Govt is mandating that hospitals cannot expand.)
Page 321 2-13: Hospitals have the opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. (Can you say ACORN?)
Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: The Govt mandates establishment of=2 outcome-based measures. (HC the way they want -- rationing.)
Page 341 Lines 3-9: The Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. (Forcing people into the Govt plan)
Page 354 Sec 1177: The Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of 'special needs people!' Unbelievable!
Page 379 Sec 1191: The Govt creates more bureaucracy via a "Tele-Health Advisory Committee." (Can you say HC by phone?)
Page 425 Lines 4-12: The Govt mandates "Advance-Care Planning Consult." (Think senior citizens end-of-life patients.)
Page 425 Lines 17-19: The Govt will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. (And it's mandatory!)
Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: The Govt provides an "approved" list of end-of-life resources; guiding you in death. (Also called 'assisted suicide.')(Sounds like Soylent Green to me.)
Page 427 Lines 15-24: The Govt mandates a program for orders on "end-of-life." (The Govt has a say in how your life ends!)
Page 429 Lines 1-9: An "advanced-care planning consultant" will be used frequently as a patient's health deteriorates.
Page 429 Lines 10-12: An "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans.. (AN ORDER TO DIE FROM THE GOVERNMENT?!?)
Page 429 Lines 13-25: The GOVT will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order.. (I wouldn't want to stand before God after getting paid for THAT job!)
Page 430 Lines 11-15: The Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end-of-life! (Again -- no choice!)
Page 469: Community-Based Home Medical Services = Non-Profit Organizations. (Hello? ACORN Medical Services here!?!)
Page 489 Sec 1308: The Govt will cover marriage and family therapy. (Which means Govt will insert itself into your marriage even.)
Page 494-498: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, and rationing those services.
Page 22 of the HC Bill: Mandates that the Govt will audit books of all employers that self-insure!!
Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill: THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.
Page 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill: YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Page 42 of HC Bill: The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC benefits for you. You have no choice!
Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.
Page 58 HC Bill: Govt will have real-time access to individuals' finances & a 'National ID Health card' will be issued! (Papers please!)
Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Govt will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer. (Time for more cash and carry)
Page 65 Sec 164: Is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions & community organizations: (ACORN).
Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the 'Exchange.'
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans -- The Govt will ration your health care!
Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. (Translation: illegal aliens.)
Page 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Govt will use groups (i.e. ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan.
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels for Plans. (AARP members - your health care WILL be rationed!)
Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. (No choice.)
Page 12 4 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt monopoly.
Page 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill: Doctors/ American Medical Association - The Govt will tell YOU what salary you can make.
Page 145 Line 15-17: An Employer MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan. (NO choice!)
Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part-time employees ANDtheir families. (Employees shouldn't get excited about this as employers will be forced to reduce its work force, benefits, and wages/salaries to cover such a huge expense.)
Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll 401k & above who does not provide public option will pay 8% tax on all payroll! (See the last comment in parenthesis.)
Page 150 Lines 9-13: A business with payroll between $251K & $401K who doesn't provide public option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.
Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable HC according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Page 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill: Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay.) (Like always)
Page 195 HC Bill: Officers & employees of the GOVT HC Admin.. will have access to ALL Americans' finances and personal records. (I guess so they can 'deduct' their fees)
Page 203 Line 14-15 HC: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." (Yes, it really says that!) ( a 'fee' instead)
Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors. (Low-income and the poor are affected.)
Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill: Doctors: It doesn't matter what specialty you have trained yourself in -- you will all be paid the same! (Just TRY to tell me that's not Socialism!)
Page 253 Line 10-18: The Govt sets the value of a doctor's time, profession, judgment, etc. (Literally-- the value of humans.)
Page 265 Sec 1131: The Govt mandates and controls productivity for "private" HC industries.
Page 268 Sec 1141: The federal Govt regulates the rental and purchase of power driven wheelchairs.
Page 272 SEC. 1145: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
Page 280 Sec 1151: The Govt will penalize hospitals for whatever the Govt deems preventable (i.e...re-admissions).
Page 298 Lines 9-11: Doctors: If you treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission -- the Govt will penalize you.
Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. (The Govt tells doctors what and how much they can own!)
Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion. (The Govt is mandating that hospitals cannot expand.)
Page 321 2-13: Hospitals have the opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. (Can you say ACORN?)
Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: The Govt mandates establishment of=2 outcome-based measures. (HC the way they want -- rationing.)
Page 341 Lines 3-9: The Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. (Forcing people into the Govt plan)
Page 354 Sec 1177: The Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of 'special needs people!' Unbelievable!
Page 379 Sec 1191: The Govt creates more bureaucracy via a "Tele-Health Advisory Committee." (Can you say HC by phone?)
Page 425 Lines 4-12: The Govt mandates "Advance-Care Planning Consult." (Think senior citizens end-of-life patients.)
Page 425 Lines 17-19: The Govt will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. (And it's mandatory!)
Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: The Govt provides an "approved" list of end-of-life resources; guiding you in death. (Also called 'assisted suicide.')(Sounds like Soylent Green to me.)
Page 427 Lines 15-24: The Govt mandates a program for orders on "end-of-life." (The Govt has a say in how your life ends!)
Page 429 Lines 1-9: An "advanced-care planning consultant" will be used frequently as a patient's health deteriorates.
Page 429 Lines 10-12: An "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end-of-life plans.. (AN ORDER TO DIE FROM THE GOVERNMENT?!?)
Page 429 Lines 13-25: The GOVT will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order.. (I wouldn't want to stand before God after getting paid for THAT job!)
Page 430 Lines 11-15: The Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end-of-life! (Again -- no choice!)
Page 469: Community-Based Home Medical Services = Non-Profit Organizations. (Hello? ACORN Medical Services here!?!)
Page 489 Sec 1308: The Govt will cover marriage and family therapy. (Which means Govt will insert itself into your marriage even.)
Page 494-498: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, and rationing those services.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)